Despite most rotator cuff injuries can be helped with non-surgical solutions, your physician may advise rotator cuff surgery to fix the tears that are in the shoulder. Certainly, the kind of surgery you have will depend on several things. No matter what kind of surgery you have, the steps to rotator cuff surgery recovery are much the same.
Day of the Operation
With the majority of these procedures, you will not have to stay in hospital overnight, as this is an outpatient surgery. Nevertheless, you must stay in the hospital until your shoulder pain can be handled with home medications. You will also wear a protective sling so your shoulder and arm muscles can rest and therefore speed the healing along faster.
Some tips to speed up rotator cuff surgery recovery during the first few days after the operation, which are very important in the later phases, include:
-Ease your pain by taking your pain medications as soon as you feel pain in your shoulder.
-Try some different mixes of pain and anti-inflammatory medications with the advice of your physician.
-Apply an ice bag over your shoulder to lessen pain and help healing.
* When sleeping, sleep in a semi-seated position with your elbows pointing down.
Stages of Recovery
It must be emphasized that the phases of rotator cuff surgery recovery will vary from one person to the next in terms of the time taken to progress from one phase to another. As such, it is best to comply with your personalized rehabilitation protocol.
During the first phase of recovery, which can last for up to 6 weeks, you will be directed to perform passive motions only. Basically, this means the avoidance of any kind of work and/or stress on the rotator cuff tendons and muscles. In this case, your physical therapist will perform two things. First, he will move your repaired shoulder for you and, second, he will provide instructions on how to move your shoulders with the least possible muscle contractions.
On the second phase, you can move your arm on your own although you should never move it against resistance of any kind. This is called the active motion phase and can last up to 12 weeks from the time of surgery.
The third stage is considered the strengthening part of your recovery where you will concentrate on performing isolation exercises to give strength to muscles that have become weak because of lack of activity. This is the most important stage in rotator cuff surgery recovery because full muscle function can come back once this stage is completed well.
When you reach the fourth part of recovery, you will be able to go back and do all the regular activities you do with your shoulders. Definitely, some things will affect this part of your recovery that can go on for about 6 months after you surgery and you will still have to talk to your doctor about going back to regular physical activities involving your shoulder.
In the end, the effort you put into your recovery, the size and location of the rotator cuff tear and your overall health will decide how well and swiftly you will go through rotator cuff surgery recovery.
Day of the Operation
With the majority of these procedures, you will not have to stay in hospital overnight, as this is an outpatient surgery. Nevertheless, you must stay in the hospital until your shoulder pain can be handled with home medications. You will also wear a protective sling so your shoulder and arm muscles can rest and therefore speed the healing along faster.
Some tips to speed up rotator cuff surgery recovery during the first few days after the operation, which are very important in the later phases, include:
-Ease your pain by taking your pain medications as soon as you feel pain in your shoulder.
-Try some different mixes of pain and anti-inflammatory medications with the advice of your physician.
-Apply an ice bag over your shoulder to lessen pain and help healing.
* When sleeping, sleep in a semi-seated position with your elbows pointing down.
Stages of Recovery
It must be emphasized that the phases of rotator cuff surgery recovery will vary from one person to the next in terms of the time taken to progress from one phase to another. As such, it is best to comply with your personalized rehabilitation protocol.
During the first phase of recovery, which can last for up to 6 weeks, you will be directed to perform passive motions only. Basically, this means the avoidance of any kind of work and/or stress on the rotator cuff tendons and muscles. In this case, your physical therapist will perform two things. First, he will move your repaired shoulder for you and, second, he will provide instructions on how to move your shoulders with the least possible muscle contractions.
On the second phase, you can move your arm on your own although you should never move it against resistance of any kind. This is called the active motion phase and can last up to 12 weeks from the time of surgery.
The third stage is considered the strengthening part of your recovery where you will concentrate on performing isolation exercises to give strength to muscles that have become weak because of lack of activity. This is the most important stage in rotator cuff surgery recovery because full muscle function can come back once this stage is completed well.
When you reach the fourth part of recovery, you will be able to go back and do all the regular activities you do with your shoulders. Definitely, some things will affect this part of your recovery that can go on for about 6 months after you surgery and you will still have to talk to your doctor about going back to regular physical activities involving your shoulder.
In the end, the effort you put into your recovery, the size and location of the rotator cuff tear and your overall health will decide how well and swiftly you will go through rotator cuff surgery recovery.
About the Author:
Tom Nicholson spends his time helping carpal tunnel sufferers. You can follow this link to learn more aboutrotator cuff surgery recovery.
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